This past summer, Northern Illinois University welcomed Dr. Douglas Baker as its new president. Despite his relatively short time in office, he has already brought many changes to the NIU community. One of the most promising changes has been a complete rehashing of the Campus Master Plan, which had not been updated since the early 1990s.

It was unveiled just a few weeks ago, but NIU is already making plans to implement some of the smaller planks of the Master Plan for next year, including planting many new trees for campus beautification and running small-scale electric buses on campus.

Why does this matter? Because Rockford’s situation and NIU’s are not that different. Whereas NIU is competing against other universities for students, Rockford is in a perpetual contest with every other city to not only attract ambitious young people but to keep them here. This requires a massive, ongoing marketing campaign focusing on tangibles offered in Rockford.

Thankfully, Rockford’s tangibles are rather impressive. The city is within 60-80 miles of the Midwest metropolises of Chicago and Milwaukee. The Chicago-Rockford International Airport offers a hassle-free alternative to hectic O’Hare. Rockford also has the distinct advantage of being a larger city with rural areas nearby.

However, our marketing should not stop there. Enter the Master Plan. Master Plans allow for the marketing of the future of the city, an otherwise intangible element. With one, Rockford could market what it will have, not just what it has now.

This is absolutely essential. When we are competing with not only the mighty draw of Chicago but also the allure of the larger suburbs like Aurora and communities across the Wisconsin border like Madison, Rockford needs to use every available tool to stand out.

A Master Plan would also benefit the city in less tangible ways. First, it would build the credibility of the city administration and the community as a whole. It would unite the community behind a common vision for the future.

It also helps with prioritization. Once every facet of Rockford’s anatomy is laid out on the table, planners can begin organizing projects and goals by theme, rank, etc. The unity offered by the plan would bolster community support as well, building ties between Rockford and younger residents that would keep them in town for the foreseeable future.

This also has a real impact on current events in Rockford. With the upcoming proposal to renovate the Amerock Building and several other downtown locations, care must be taken to ensure that they are renovated with a specific goal and mission in mind, not just to avoid changing tax credit rules.

Page 2 of 2 - How will it be rehabilitated? What will the city do about parking after the renovation? How does it fit with our mission as a city? These are questions that a Master Plan would address and codify moving forward, to the community’s benefit.

A well-laid out, effective and comprehensive city plan will create a more marketable environment that will draw more young people to Rockford and keep them in the city by making them part of something bigger: a thriving community.

Ben Donovan, a 2011 Harlem High School graduate, is a junior studying political science at Northern Illinois University.